Research Engineer (postdoc) in Neurodegeneration Mechanism Research Group

OPIS STANOWISKA

Łukasiewicz PORT - Polish Center for Technology Development is a modern and dynamically developing Research Institute within the Łukasiewicz Research Network. It focuses on development of new technologies, resulting from basic and applied research which, in turn, serve as a basis for innovative solutions for the industry. The scientific branch of Łukasiewicz-PORT encompasses four Centers: Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Material Sciences, Population Diagnostics and the Independent Department P4Health, backed by specialized core facilities and excellent infrastructure that supports high quality research.

We are looking for an ambitious and passionate Postdoctoral fellow to join the research group of Dr Agnieszka Krzyżosiak in a project funded by the National Science Centre (NCN) OPUS 29 grant 2025/57/B/NZ5/04944 “Identification of age-related traces of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis as a basis for the search for novel disease modifiers”. The position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a dedicated research team investigating key questions in neurodegeneration. A post-doc position is a full-time position planned by the project manager for a person who has obtained a doctoral degree in the year of employment in the project or in the 12 years prior to January 1st of the year of employment in the project.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are devastating, age-related disorders that, despite substantial research efforts, remain largely incurable. Our work employs cutting-edge approaches to advance understanding of the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration, with the ultimate aim of proposing novel therapeutic strategies.

The deposition of misfolding-prone proteins is a hallmark of NDDs and consistent evidence points to the dysregulation of protein quality control (PQC) in neurodegenerative pathogenesis. We have previously demonstrated that boosting the PQC can be beneficial in preventing protein misfolding as well as ameliorating neurodegenerative phenotypes (Das, Krzyzosiak et al. 2015, Science; Krzyzosiak, Sigurdardottir et al. 2018, Cell). Building on these findings, our aim is to systematically investigate the molecular components of PQC pathways and to exploit their potential to modify NDD-associated cellular pathology. In parallel, we examine the contribution of glial cells to neurodegenerative disease progression.

In your role, you will use cell reprogramming methods and implement the state-of-the-art human model systems to investigate the origin and progression of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis pathology.

CODZIENNE ZADANIA:

Key responsibilities:
• Development, implementation and daily maintenance of human cellular models
• Designing and undertaking experiments as well as analyzing and interpreting data
• Reporting to your group leader
• Drafting research articles and presenting at conferences
• Maintaining high-quality lab notes
• Communication and interactions within the team
• Bringing ideas to address the questions of the project
Academic qualifications:
• A PhD in neuroscience, cell biology, molecular biology or a related discipline

Technical skills and expertise:
Essential:
 Excellent skills in establishing and/or maintenance of cell culture
 Hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques
 Ability to work independently and also capability of interacting within a group
 Commitment, creativity and motivation
 Very good work organization skills
 Excellent communication skills in English
Desirable:
 Hands-on experience in reprogramming of human cells
 Experience with pharmacological and/or genetic approaches
 International training or work experience
 Previous experience in studying neurodegeneration and/or protein quality control will be an asset
 Experience with bioinformatics tools will be a plus

WYMAGANIA OBOWIĄZKOWE:

Academic qualifications:
• A PhD in neuroscience, cell biology, molecular biology or a related discipline

Technical skills and expertise:
Essential:
 Excellent skills in establishing and/or maintenance of cell culture
 Hands-on experience with molecular biology techniques
 Ability to work independently and also capability of interacting within a group
 Commitment, creativity and motivation
 Very good work organization skills
 Excellent communication skills in English
Desirable:
 Hands-on experience in reprogramming of human cells
 Experience with pharmacological and/or genetic approaches
 International training or work experience
 Previous experience in studying neurodegeneration and/or protein quality control will be an asset
 Experience with bioinformatics tools will be a plus

BENEFITY:

• A full-time contract
• Co-financing for private medical care.
• Co-financing for a sports card.
• Possibility to join group life insurance.
• Co-financing under the Social Benefits Fund (for holidays and Christmas).
• State-of-the-art infrastructure, modern, well-equipped laboratories and access to core facilities
• Participation in international conferences and workshops
• Interactions with international collaborators
• A friendly, inspiring, interdisciplinary environment

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